


Bless the Snow Down in Georgia

by bluetoast



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Abysmal Lyric Changes, Airports, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Heavy Sarcasm, Road Trips, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21992023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetoast/pseuds/bluetoast
Summary: Ben and Rey cross paths for the first time since high school in a crowded airport terminal. Verdict? Flight cancelled. Curse Atlanta and their overreaction to snow! Determined to make it back to their hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, the two work together and catch upon years lost by driving, rather than flying, home for the holidays.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 21
Kudos: 36
Collections: Walking in a Winter Dadamland





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to Theresa for your beta work on this! Collaborations are always rocky at first, with tense changes and such, and you are a rockstar for hanging in there as we worked our way through it.
> 
> Readers, thanks for giving this a shot! Props to House Dadam for the fic inspiration -- it's a prompt that was submitted but ultimately didn't win the vote for the winter Round Robin. Also, enjoy this as our little contribution to Walking in a Winter Dadamland fic fest this winter!
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and we hope you'll stay tuned for more! 
> 
> Note: we will add more tags as more of the fic is written and as we go along!

**Chapter One**

Rey rushed down the corridor of the Atlanta airport, frantically trying to get to the gate for her connecting flight before they took off without her. She’d known she was cutting it close with a 50 minute layover time in December, but she’d had to grade papers, and there was _no_ way she’d be able to get that done on the plane. There was never enough tabletop space for her, and she didn’t want to risk spilling her disgusting airplane coffee on the papers, either.

When she finally saw gate A3 in the distance, a wave of relief soared through her. It was a long run from gate A19, but she’d made it. At least she hadn’t had to transfer terminals — Atlanta is much too big to be doing that with a short layover time.

Just as she turned the corner to find a seat in the gate area, Rey was startled by the presence of a very tall, very wide man. She yelped as she bumped into him, startled by the crowd she hadn’t been anticipating. 

“Sorry, I — _oh_.”

She looked up into the very dark, very familiar eyes of none other than Ben Solo.

Rey hadn’t seen him in ages, of course. They’d gone to high school together in Baltimore, but drifted apart after that. They hadn’t even been the closest of friends, but they’d taken an art class together and formed a tentative sort of friendship. It helped that his parents were friends with Rey’s foster family, so they had some sort of common ground already.

But this — this was surprising. Seeing Ben in the Atlanta airport wasn’t something that seemed likely to her. Last she’d heard, he was some fancy jetsetter who traveled for work and didn’t really have a “home,” just a place he stayed most of the time. And now here he was. In front of her. Saying something to her that she’d completely tuned out.

“What?”

She ignored his look of exasperation and instead just waited for him to repeat himself.

“I told you to watch where you’re going,” he said. “And then asked you what you’re doing here.” His face screwed up in annoyance. He added, “You still don’t listen? We’re not in algebra class anymore.”

“I listen!” she protested.

He shushed her and pointed to the gate agent, who had just picked up the intercom speaker to address the crowd. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, due to weather, flight 476 to Baltimore, Maryland has been _cancelled_. Please form a line at this gate or visit our customer service area near gate A8 to be rescheduled to the next available flight. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and please rest assured we will get you all to your final destination as quickly and safely as we can.”

Rey stared at the gate agent for a minute, like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. The announcement filled her with shock and disappointment; she didn’t know when she was going to get back to Baltimore now. Given how far away from the gate counter they are, they probably wouldn’t be able to get on a flight for days.

At least she wasn’t stuck at the airport alone, right?

But when she looked over to speak to Ben, he was already halfway to the gate counter, nudging unforgivingly oblivious travelers out of the way in order to sneak closer to the front. Rather than giving up all hope, she slowly trudged in line with the rest of the disappointed travelers and waited her turn to be reassigned. 

Though she couldn’t hear exactly what he was saying, Rey heard enough strangled shouts from Ben to know that whatever was happening at the counter was _not_ what he’d been hoping for.

Moments later, he was walking past her, moving with such anger that he very nearly ran her foot over with his roller bag. “Now who needs to watch where they’re going!” she exclaimed.

It was more of an attempt to lighten the mood than anything, but it did little to achieve that. In fact, he seemed even more annoyed than he had just seconds earlier, and Rey found that she didn’t exactly feel guilty about it. He’d been an ass, so she could be one right back to him. They were in the same boat, and she wasn’t taking her anger out on him — it was the least he could do to extend her the same courtesy.

He narrowed his eyes and stalked off. Full of curiosity, Rey followed. “What’s going on?” she asked. “I take it your conversation with the gate agent didn’t go well?”

“The earliest flight I could get on is two days from now,” he grumbled. “At this rate, I could just _drive_ there. This Georgia blizzard is total bullshit… this is _nothing_.”

Ben gestured wildly to the floor to ceiling windows all around them, revealing the small trickling of snowflakes from the sky, barely enough to coat the ground at this point. However, it was just slick enough that the runway was a total mess.

“Well, I agree that this appears to be an overreaction on their part, but there’s nothing we can do,” Rey said sympathetically. She cocked her head to the side curiously and asked, “Besides, I thought you didn’t get along with your parents? Why would you want to go back?”

He looked at her boredly. “You and I haven’t spoken in years. How do you know I’m not back on good terms with them?”

Rey released the handle of her roller bag to cross her arms and look at him with criticism.

“Okay, fine, I’m not, but whatever,” he said. “The fact of the matter is, this is not enough snow to make a big deal out of, and I don’t want to be stuck here any more than is absolutely necessary.”

Rey laughed. “I mean, you think I do?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Like I already said, we haven’t seen each other in years.”

Looking around, Rey could see that the terminal was beginning to fill up with everyone who’d come to these gates just to find that their flights wouldn’t be taking off. It was quickly devolving into chaos. “Walk with me,” she said to Ben.

She remembered how quiet it had been on the other end of the terminal, the most frequently used gates down by where they’re currently standing. Ben glared at her, but he didn’t walk in the opposite direction so Rey considered it a win. Together, they took their time braving the crowd and walking back towards gate A19, hopefully away from some of the chaos. 

They passed by an Auntie Anne’s where Rey had to resist the urge to take a detour in order to grab a snack, but indulged Ben when he opted for a coffee at the nearest Starbucks. He grumbled about the roast tasting burnt, but also acknowledged that it was probably the best they were going to get. Rey, much to his chagrin, opted for the far-too-sugary mocha frappuccino instead, which took much longer to make than he’d been willing to spend there.

Reuniting in the crowded corridor of the A terminal, they continued walking, the crowd slowly beginning to dissipate. At least now they could hear themselves think and didn’t have to shout to be heard by the other. 

“You know,” Rey mused as they found a sofa they could sit on. “I think you might have been on to something earlier.”

She looked up at Ben and watched as he hesitated ever so slightly before sitting down on the sofa next to her. It was small, and their knees bumped, but it was altogether not the most uncomfortable situation they’d ever been in. “What was I on to?” he asked.

“That we could get there faster if we just drove.”

She looked over at him, and he looked back at her nonplussed. “You want to drive to Baltimore? From Atlanta? With what car?”

“Well, a rental obviously,” she said, rolling her eyes. “If we get down there now, we can probably grab a four-wheel drive vehicle before they’re all gone.”

Ben looked skeptical. “Why would we need four-wheel drive if we think this snow is nothing?”

Rey pulled out her phone and raised it, showing the radar for the whole of the eastern United States. “Because we’ll hit snow on and off the whole way.”

“I mean…”

He trailed off, not really sure what to say. Rey watched him smugly, knowing full well that they only had so many options, and that this truly was the best one. In hopes of persuading him to her cause, she said, “We can take turns driving so we can get there in half the time we could if we were driving separately. Plus, we know the other isn’t a crazy murderer, so it’s not like we’re hitting the road with a total stranger. Not to mention, we’re going to the exact same place. It makes perfect sense.”

“It’s absolutely insane.”

Rey grinned. “And that’s a problem because…?”

Ben looked around. Even on the quieter end of the row of gates, things were starting to get louder. He noticed a few people heading towards the exits, and saw the TV stations throughout the terminal with the weather forecast for the area, and the region. More and more flights were showing as _delayed_ or _cancelled_ on the departures board.

Everything around him was screaming at him to just follow through with Rey’s plan, until finally he sighed and realized that there was nothing he could do to get there faster other than this very plan she’s proposed. The one he didn’t want to agree to on principle, but probably would anyway.

Shoulders slumping, he nodded. “Alright, fine. Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” Rey asked excitedly.

“I’m driving first,” he stipulated firmly.

Rey laughed brightly. “That’s fine. I’m also hoping you have one of those fancy car rental cards so you can get us a good car? I hear you’re quite the traveler these days.”

Dryly, Ben said, “That’s the only reason you invited me along, isn’t it?”

She winked at him and stood up. She pulled out the handle of her roller bag again and said eagerly, “Come on! Let’s go get a good car before they’re all taken.”

***

Ben had started questioning his decision to go home for Christmas this morning when he arrived at the airport in Seattle and found the first leg of his flight to Baltimore canceled. What the hell kind of storm was stuck over the Upper-Midwest where flights to Chicago were _cancelled_? Although, he had to give credit to the airlines for their idea of routing everyone bound for the east coast to Atlanta and everyone bound for the central part of the country to Denver.

Although, after landing in the madhouse that was Hartfield-Jackson, he was starting to wish he was in Denver. Hell, he’d have settled for having to fly to Toronto and needlessly gone through customs and had the coffee beans stashed in his bag confiscated by some overzealous Mountie who needed relief from Tim Horton’s brew right about now. Of course, said city was under siege from the same storm plaguing Chicago.

He let out a breath as he reached the front of the Enterprise counter, relieved most people hadn’t started to head in this direction; they were still trying to find out when their flights would leave. “Good afternoon.” He managed to keep his tone polite, already silently asking how the hell he let Rey talk him into this harebrained idea. When the hell was the last time they had seen each other, anyway?

“Hi.” The woman in front of him had a smile so forced, he worried for her jaw. “How may I help you?” 

“Yes, what’s left on the lot that’s good for snow?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not picky about the make and model.” 

“Certainly, let me check our inventory...” She turned to her computer and started typing as Ben heard Rey coming up behind him.

“You walk too fast,” she griped, shifting her messenger bag from one shoulder to the other. 

“I did exactly what you told me to do, Your Highness,” he scoffed. “And I didn’t trample anyone to get here, either.” He gave her a once over. “I saw you preparing to plow through that gaggle of little old ladies standing in a cluster by the Taco Hut.” 

She glowered at him. “It was a Taco Bueno, genius.” 

The lady behind the counter cleared her throat. “I have a Subaru Forester, a Chevy Equinox, and a Jeep Cherokee, sir.” 

“I’m good with the Subaru.” He took his wallet out of his pocket. “I’m already in your system,” he handed over his driver’s license, glancing over at Rey, who was scrolling through her phone. “Updating your road trip playlist?” 

“It needs Christmas music. Any preferences?” She didn’t look up, grimacing. “Augh, go back…” 

“Trans-Siberian Orchestra,” he said before turning back to the woman on the other side of the counter as she handed him back his license and a sheet of paper. A familiar drill to him by this point and he scanned the short contract before signing the bottom and returned it, along with his credit card. 

Rey tensed, and he saw her face shift. “Here comes the hurricane. I passed some Orlando-bound group.” Her lips twisted into a smirk. “Every mother exudes the ‘I want to talk to your manager vibe.’” 

“Thanks for the warning, miss,” the woman at the counter said, handing Ben back his card along with another document. “You want to take the blue tram; one comes by about every ten minutes.” she continued. “How your rental agreement to the man in the front of the Enterprise Lot; he’ll have the keys.” 

“Thank you, and have a good holiday.” Ben shouldered his bag, sticking the rental agreement into the front pocket of his messenger bag and pulling on his gloves. “You ready to go, Rey?” 

“Yeah.” She picked up her carry-on and stuffed her phone in her pocket. “Thanks.” She shook her head as they made their way towards the exit. “So you are capable of acting like a decent human being.” 

“Occasionally. I don’t give people in the service industry shit. They get enough of it already.” He adjusted his scarf, relieved he hadn't left it in the trunk of his car this morning. “Not to mention, only an idiot is rude to people in food service. I like my orders spit free, thank you. Still, I never order mayo on my burgers.” 

“Same.” Rey shook her head as a cold blast swept towards them from the exit. “They call this a storm?” 

“It is a storm.” He grinned at her skeptical look. “A Dixie Clusterfuck. You think these people are freaking out; you should see what Houston would make of this.” He bent towards the wind as they went out, and really, after the heat of the interior, this almost felt good. “Reminds me of Washington in October.” 

She smirked at the lazy flakes making little more than a mess on the pavement. “I don’t know what Atlanta is freaking out about; this will probably all be gone by this time tomorrow.” She clutched the collar of her coat closed. “It’s the wind that makes it bad.” 

“Always does,” he answered as they made their way to the tram shelter. “I think the only place not getting snow right now is Denver and a good chunk of the lower Midwest. This is what I get for not watching the weather last night, although I doubt trying to leave earlier would have solved anything.” 

“The worst part of this will be getting out of Atlanta. Once we’re out of the city, and away from people who think the sky is falling, we should manage. I mean, all the truckers know how to deal with snow, and everyone else will stay home in fear.” She checked her watch. “It’s just after three. Maybe we’ll avoid the worst of rush hour.” 

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Ben muttered as the blue tram came into sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey hit the road for Baltimore. However, the snow has other plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a million to Theresa for your help beta reading this! We appreciate it so much! And as always, thanks to all the readers <3

**Chapter Two**

Rey wondered if walking would be faster at this point. She staunchly refused to complain, or make a comment about the backed up traffic. This whole thing was her idea, and really, at least they were away from the airport, headed in the right direction. The car inched forward another couple of feet, and she shot a glance over at Ben, who tapped his fingers idly on the steering wheel. “Whoever made these radio presets is an idiot.”

“I just want to keep on top of the weather and traffic. I’m sorry if having to listen to Gene Autry is an inconvenience,” he retorted. “And thank the builders that Hartsfield-Jackson isn’t located in downtown.” 

“It doesn’t help that everyone who works downtown decided to leave early,” she huffed, leaning back in her seat. “If we hear that the airport’s reopened, I’m going to scream.” 

“Don’t do that. We’re having an adventure,” he quipped. “We just didn’t have time to stop for a bunch of snacks before we left. Like a proper road trip.” He grinned and said, “have a little optimism, okay? It can’t be nearly as bad as the bus ride on the field trip to the Smithsonian in ninth grade.” 

She coughed, “You mean the one where almost the entire class got food poisoning?” She let out a noise halfway between a laugh and a sound of disgust. “That’s not a good comparison!”

“Why not, at least we were among the smart people who brought their own lunches.” He snorted, “That’s what you get for eating crab salad of unknown age and origin.” They made their way past the seventeenth fender bender since they left the airport. “I never understood why someone would want to do something as disgusting as salad to something as delicious as crab.” 

Rey closed her eyes, managing a grin. “We always have crab chowder on Christmas Eve. I think I gain about five pounds every time I eat it, but I don’t care.”

“Maz’s crab chowder is amazing; I don’t blame you.” he chuckled, “We always have borscht. I’ve tried to recreate it at my place, but it never turns out right. I’m starting to think there’s some truth to my father saying the stock pot my mom uses is magical.” 

“Since when do you cook?” she answered. “I’d have thought you had a personal chef or something.” She stretched and opened her eyes, resting her chin on her fist.

“Hardly, just because I work for Microsoft doesn’t make me Bill Gates.” He coughed, “I just tend to spend more time traveling than at home, so I really can’t keep much in my fridge in terms of fresh produce. But yes, every now and then, I have a week where I’m home, and I can make a meal from scratch and not just heat up something in the microwave, or pick my dinner from my impressive collection of take-out menus.” 

She swallowed a sigh. His remark came across as light, but in a way, it was almost sad. “You have a lot of frequent flyer miles?” 

“Uh huh. Next time I go back to Maryland, I’m cashing them in for a first class seat on a direct flight to Baltimore or DC; at this point, I’m not picky.” He tensed as a small sedan raced past them and spun around several times before coming to a stop on the side of the road. “Idiot.” 

“I’ve never flown first class.” Rey risked another glance at him. “You do that often?” 

“Last time was on a flight back to the States from Tokyo. I was upgraded from business - I can do coach on short domestic flights, but once we’re talking past the five hour mark? No.” He sighed, “One of the problems of being tall.” 

“I’m not exactly short, Ben,” she said, “but coach isn’t exactly known for its leg space.” She rubbed her temple. 

“Good afternoon, Atlanta!” The deejay’s voice reminded Rey of some of her perkier students. “It’s a chilly twenty-nine here, thirty downtown and twenty-seven at the airport. Many flights are delayed or canceled, so call ahead before you head out to check on yours,” he paused, “and this snow is only going to get worse, with an accumulation of up to an inch.” 

“Hey, buddy, Denver called; they want to know if you’ll trade the inch for their two feet.” Ben snorted. “Then you can panic.” He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel again. “We’re going to have to have Waffle House once we’re out of Georgia.”

She grinned, remembering the last time she’d visited one. “I could do with some serious hashbrowns. Scattered, smothered, capped, and covered.” she paused, “Bacon on the side.” 

“Bacon is always good.” He grinned. “And their coffee is usually octane strength. Waffle House is one of the things I miss about the South in Seattle.” 

“Have they ever exactly decided if Maryland counts as part of the South?” She frowned. “My students seem divided on the matter. Of course, I don’t know if the main social studies teacher, Bohdi Rook, has reached the point in US History where West Virginia came into being; I think the Civil War is about to start.” 

“Maryland is the South with class and treason-free.” He shook his head. “Kentucky is the South with an inferiority complex, and Missouri just wants people to shut up about it already.” 

“I never think of Maryland as a _classy_ place.” She sighed, “It’s just… home. You know?” she rubbed her face, groaning. “I should have slept on the plane.” 

“You can sleep now, if you want. Get a little rest before we hit the Carolinas.” He snickered, “Although I can’t promise I won’t sing along with the radio.” 

“Whatever.” She shifted, leaning her head against the window, watching the snow swirling outside, and nearly laughed at the billboard advertising Six Flags. “Wake me up when we cross the state line, or stop for gas.” She closed her eyes as the music on the radio started again, drifting off to the opening bars of ‘I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.’ 

*

Rey woke to the sound of Ben cursing paired with the car coming to an abrupt halt. Startled, she sat up, her eyes gummed up with sleep gunk and her thoughts scattered. “Wha!?”

She glanced around frantically, trying to regain her bearings.

“Sorry.”

Though he sounded sheepish, Ben looked anything but. His brow was furrowed up with the angriest of glares, his hand shaking angrily in the general direction of the cars in front of him. Yet again, they were at a near standstill.

“Where are we?” she asked.

Rey sat up straight, rubbing at her eyes and glancing around to see if she could find any sort of clues as to where they were. 

“Just barely crossed the line into South Carolina,” Ben replied. “And this _asshole_ seems to think it’s perfectly alright to cut me off for absolutely _no reason_.”

Rey pointed to the shoulder as they rolled past it at a cool five miles per hour. “You mean this is not a reason?”

There, halfway in the ditch, was a car that took the barely-there curve in the freeway just a little too fast and skidded right past the shoulder and into the meager couple inches of snow piled in the ditch. 

Ben said nothing.

“How long was I asleep?” Rey asked, changing the subject.

He shrugged. “I’ve lost track of time. Mostly I’ve been focused on what these idiots are doing,” he gestured wildly to the cars surrounding them.

Rey frowned. “Do you want me to drive for a while?”

“We’re only stopping for gas, food, and bathroom breaks,” Ben said firmly. “Nothing more.”

“Okay,” Rey agreed. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Ben looked over at her, eyebrow raised in suspicion. “Do you _really_? Or are you trying to get behind the wheel of this car?”

Rey looked affronted. “Excuse you, I had a venti caramel macchiato while waiting to hear that our flight was canceled. Of _course_ I need to pee.”

“Charming.”

Ben glanced around and turned on his blinker, preparing to ease the Subaru into the right lane of traffic. Thankfully, there was an exit in the near distance — what would have been just a minute’s drive away were they actually going freeway speeds — and the sign near it indicated that there was a gas station half a mile from the exit.

It was at that moment that Rey realized the radio was nothing but static. “Have you really been listening to _this_ the whole time?” she asked.

“No, it switched to static a couple miles back. It hasn’t been like that for long.”

She hesitated for just one moment before opening the glove compartment and rifling around. When that proved fruitless, she then opened the center console. Still, she wasn’t able to find what she wanted.

“What are you looking for?”

“We’re getting an aux cord when we go into the gas station,” she said resolutely.

Ben sighed. “I have an iPhone.”

“So we get a converter, too,” she argued.

Ben eased his way between a Navigator and a beat-up old BMW, finally veering smoothly into the right lane of traffic completely. “No need. This car should have bluetooth.”

“And you didn’t set it up because…?”

Ben’s focus was clearly on the road and the traffic, rather than Rey, so he didn’t answer. It was enough of an answer, though, and after waiting long enough for an answer that never came, she said, “Well, while I’m peeing, you figure out a way to set up bluetooth. Preferably with my phone. It’s got the playlist ready to go and everything.”

“My car, my music.”

“This is a rental!”

Ben managed to speed up just a little, enough to get close enough that it was acceptable enough to veer into the shoulder to close the rest of the distance between where they’d been stopped and where the exit began. Rey sat back as Ben got them to the gas station, surprised when he picked up the conversation a full minute later.

“I’m paying for the rental. It’s as good as mine.”

Scowling, Rey replied, “I’ll pay for half.”

“I promise you, we’ll have time for both playlists.”

He turned into the parking lot of the gas station, sliding just a little on the slushy snow. When they came to a full stop outside the building, Ben put the car in park and killed the engine. “You’re going in, too?”

Ben shrugged. “I might as well try to go while we’re here. Besides, I’m hungry.”

Rey unbuckled and propped open the door, one foot hanging just a centimeter from the snowy ground outside. “Find the nearest Waffle House, _please_.”

She climbed out of the car before Ben could reply, and he waited several moments before opting to walk inside. He browsed the shelves of the usual gas station shit — Cheetos, Doritos, some off-brand he didn’t trust. Finally, he chose a Hershey’s bar, grabbed a second only because they were on sale two for two dollars, and went to the register to pay.

He returned to the car and was fully seated in the driver’s seat before remembering that Rey was going to be driving for a while now. She spotted him just as he walked around the front of the car, and Ben grew grumpy just because he’d been found out. In the car, he hooked up the Bluetooth while Rey took the liberty of finding the nearest Waffle House, her stomach insistent upon the pilgrimage and Ben in total agreement, for once.

“Four and a half hours. Can you last that long?” she asked.

Ben held out one of the Hershey’s bars he’d bought, the other in his lap. “This should tide us over,” he said, like it was no big deal that he’d bought them snacks.

Rey grinned and ripped it open, haphazardly taking a bite out of it as she buckled up. 

Fearlessly, Rey drove them back to the freeway and merged on as best she could. Just as when they took the exit, the traffic was at a near standstill again as people tried to flee the snow in Georgia. 

Under her breath, Rey hummed, “I bless the _snowwww_ down in Georrrrrgiaaaaa.”

“No.”

Ben was having none of her silly Toto covers, and promptly pressed play on his own Spotify playlist. Acoustic guitar and the faint trace of banjo filled the speakers, and Rey looked a cross between horrified and amused.

“What is _this_?”

Dumbly, Ben replied, “The Avett Brothers.”

“This… is not what I expected.”

Unamused, Ben looked over at her out of the corner of his eye. “You’re recalling the long-haired emo child from high school? My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park, etcetera?”

“Well… yeah,” Rey nodded. “Or at least something _like_ that.”

He sighed. “People change.”

Leaning over, Ben reached for the bar on the front of his seat and pulled it upwards, launching the seat as far back as it would go in order to afford him as much leg room as possible. “It’s my turn for a nap. Wake me when we get to Waffle House.”

“What!?” Rey asked incredulously. “You can’t just put on your twangy shit and _go to sleep_. What the hell!?”

Ben ignored her, turning towards the window and tucking his arms in near his torso. Though Rey tried to mess with the dials on the radio in a futile attempt to rectify the situation, she found it was fruitless. She was now stuck listening to Ben’s oddball indie hipster shit while he napped and she was stuck in traffic.

Honestly, Waffle House couldn’t appear on the horizon fast enough.

*

The snow was definitely getting thicker. No sooner had they driven out of the ironically named town of Fair Play, than the flurries turned into a proper snow storm. The good news, however, was the traffic had thinned to the point where it was more eighteen-wheelers and die-hard travelers. Still, Rey didn’t trust any of the other drivers, and she shot a look in the rearview mirror back at Ben, who had started to snore.

“I don’t even know where the hell we are. Blacksburg can’t be too much further.” She groaned, easing her grip on the steering wheel. “I’m already dreading what Charlotte’s going to look like.” 

“Have you tried turning it off and then turning it back on?” Ben sounded weird; she checked the mirror again - he was still sleeping. “Working now?” 

“Oh for the simple days in the IT department.” She chuckled, “works for the copier in the teacher’s lounge too.” 

“No, you can’t pay for that by putting cash in the d-drive. Please, don’t try it, ma’am. You’ll only break the computer.” He coughed and shifted in his rest. “No, coins will make the problem worse.” 

“Holy shit.” Rey snickered, remembering the time she’d seen someone drop a penny into the receipt printer at a Starbucks and short the system out. “Are people really that stupid?” She glowered at the tractor trailer that raced past their car in the left lane, and she had to change the speed of the windshield wipers to take care of the excess snow. “Asshole.” 

Ben started speaking Korean; at least, that’s what she thought it was. Her grip on the languages of Asia were next to non-existent. Spanish, sure. The only reason she knew it wasn’t Japanese was because she refused to watch anime dubbed, and it also sounded nothing like the owners of her favorite Thai and Vietnamese restaurants back in Albuquerque. She also couldn’t tell the difference between Cantonese and Mandrin. However, she could detect the difference between the way someone from Mexico spoke Spanish and the way someone from Guatemala did. 

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but judging from the tone, I think you’re fighting a losing battle.” She shook her head as the song changed, the wretched indie music she’d suffered through for the last hour shifted tone dramatically as the familiar opening chords of ‘Sweet Caroline’ started to blast from the speakers. 

“Not going to sing, not going to sing…” she muttered, tightening her grip on the steering wheel again. 

“ _Where it began_ …” Neil Diamond’s voice was like an invitation. This song begged to be sung along to, the same way ‘All Star’ did. 

“I can’t begin to knowin’...” she grinned, her mood lifting. “But then I know it’s growing strong…” 

“ _Was in Spring_ …” 

“And spring became the summer…” Okay, this was good. This was very good. At least not everything on this playlist of Ben’s was obscure or garbage. She could almost imagine she wasn’t driving through a thickening snow storm in South Carolina, but instead was watching some fluff from the Boston Red Sox in the middle of the summer in Baltimore while they played the Orioles. 

“ _Who’d have believed you’d come along_?” 

“Hands. Touching hands…” She saw Ben’s face twitch in the mirror, and she grinned, not caring if she woke him up or not. “Reaching out.. Touching me, touching you…” 

“Sweet Caroline,” Ben sung, far too in tune for someone who just woke up.

“Bah bah bah,” Rey answered, “the snow’s getting thicker, and the traffic is thinning out. And I’ve seen exactly three plows in the past two hours.” 

“Where the hell are we?” he groaned, and she saw his eyes close. 

“The other side of Spartanburg, or about an hour from the North Carolina state line.” She shook her head. “Almost at Waffle House, I think the weather is actually starting to turn into something the south has a reason to bitch about.” 

He snorted, “Bah bah bah.” 

“What?” she frowned as Neil Diamond’s voice sang out again.

“ _To believe I ever could but I_ …” 

“Look at the night,” he continued, grinning. “And it don’t seem so lonely.” 

“We fill it up with only two.” Rey shook her head, easing the car into the left lane so they could pass a pulled over eighteen wheeler. This song was too damn catchy. “And when I hurt…” 

“Burden runs off my shoulders...” Ben added, grinning as he moved his seat back up. 

“How can I hurt when holding you?” she chuckled. “I can’t believe you have a song this good on this shitty playlist of yours.” 

He snorted, “If the algorithm holds true, ‘Country Roads’ should be the next song.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It almost always is.” 

“Another singable song.” She nodded, tightening her grip on the wheel. “Since when do you speak Korean?” 

“Since college.” He shrugged and said, “was I talking in my sleep?” 

“Yeah.” she frowned. “Common thing for you?” 

“Occasional, fortunately. The last person who told me about that was a flight attendant on a trip back from India.” He grinned. “I was speaking Korean, and the guy asleep next to me was speaking Thai. This kid in front of us filmed around half of it with her phone.” 

“Was it a coherent conversation?” Rey blinked and pressed her foot gently against the brake as a sedan in front of them fishtailed and came to stop on the side of the road, and she eased their vehicle around it. “Shit.” 

“Did you get a look at the plates?” Ben yawned. 

“I don’t think that matters at this point. I did notice this car has Wyoming plates.” She frowned, “I’ve never been to Wyoming, you?”

“Not since I was a kid.” He turned his gaze out the window as the familiar guitar twang came from the speakers. “Told you.” 

“Holy…” Rey gaped. “No wonder you work with computers.” 

“ _Almost heaven, West Virginia_ ….” 

She frowned. “Hey, this reminds me, have you seen _Logan Lucky_?” 

“In-flight movie, yeah. And yes, I know, I look like that Adam Driver guy. Gets annoying as hell when people think I’m him.” He frowned, “I’d pretend to be him, but he looks like he could kick my ass.” 

*

Waffle House had a distinct smell which Ben could never accurately describe. A mixture of strong coffee, grilled onions and something which was distinctly linked to the establishment. Despite the hour and the weather, the restaurant wasn’t packed, which surprised him. He’d have thought the place would have a little more activity than this. He and Rey’s booth was along the front side, allowing them to keep an eye on their car. At the booth directly across from them sat two women, both with coffee cups and half-eaten food - their attention more on their spiral notebooks than anything else.

“You think we should stop for the night once we get into North Carolina?” Rey cleared her throat. “I mean, we don’t have to, but..” 

He took a drink of coffee. “We’ll listen to a weather report first. But I think you’re right where the storm is concerned. The further north we go, the more it becomes a serious storm.” He glanced out the window, picking up his own cup. “Still, not entirely a reason to worry yet.” 

“All right, here you kids go.” The waitress came over and set two plates of waffles down. “I’ll be right back with your hash browns.” She smiled and turned back to the kitchen area.

“Oooh I’ve missed this place.” Rey opened the little container of margarine and picked up her knife. “Why is Waffle House so good?” 

“It’s an anomaly. Everything about this place screams it’s terrible, dangerous, and a dozen other negative words when it’s actually the opposite. I refuse to go to the pancake place. They’ve over-complicated things there.” He set his own container of margarine aside and picked up the syrup dispenser. “This beats airport food any day of the week.” He poured a decent amount on his waffle.

“I don’t travel enough, so I’ll take your word for it.” She finished with the margarine, and he handed her the syrup. “Thank you. I do like my school’s square pizzas. I have no idea why those things are addicting.” 

“Hash browns.” The waitress was back. “Scattered, smothered and covered for you, Miss, and scattered, capped, smothered, chunked and covered for you, Sir.” She beamed. “Enjoy!” 

“Okay, I want what’s in her coffee,” Ben said as the woman walked away. “Let’s eat before the food gets cold.” 

“No argument there,” Rey answered, and all but attacked her plate. He’d never seen anyone more enthusiastic about eating anything put in front of her as she was. From breakfast foods to salads, he had no doubt she could win any eating contest she entered. 

He chuckled, picking up his fork as he heard the door of the establishment open. “Don’t forget to chew; I don’t think anyone wants to see a Heimlich maneuver demonstration tonight.” 

Rey flipped him off.

“Evening, Stan. The usual?” someone behind the counter spoke up. 

“Can’t stay long, Frannie. Just came to get some coffee and to tell you all the news.” His voice sounded almost jovial. 

Rey shot Ben a look, her mouth full of waffle. 

“Interstate is closed for the night. The snow’s falling at a rate of six inches an hour, and the plows can’t keep up.” 

“Well, shit,” Frannie replied. 

Ben pulled his phone out and started searching for a hotel before Rey could finish chewing.


End file.
